Years before he became renowned as one of the most original social
scientists of the twentieth century, Albert O. Hirschman played an
active role in the rebuilding of postwar Europe. Between 1946 and 1952,
he worked as an economic analyst in the Research Division of the Federal
Reserve Board of the United States, focusing on the reconstruction of
Europe and the Marshall Plan. In that capacity, Hirschman wrote a number
of reports about European economic policies, the first efforts at
intra-European cooperation, and the uncertainties that surrounded the
shaping of a new international economic order with the United States at
its core.
The Postwar Economic Order presents a collection of these interrelated
reports, which offer incisive firsthand analysis of postwar Europe and
give a behind-the-scenes view of American debates on European economic
recovery. They feature nuanced and sophisticated discussion of topics
such as the postwar "dollar shortage," U.S.-European relations, and the
first steps toward European economic integration. Hirschman provides
original and perceptive interpretations of the struggles that European
governments faced along their paths toward economic recovery.
Throughout, Hirschman's stylistic gifts and characteristic ways of
reasoning are on full display as he highlights the counterintuitive and
paradoxical aspects of economic and political processes. Shedding new
light on the origins of European economic cooperation, this book
provides unparalleled insight into the development of Hirschman's
thinking on economic development and reform.
